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All the United Kingdom England Withernsea The Sandcastle

The Sandcastle

This two-towered gateway is all that remains of the unluckiest pier in the world.

Withernsea, England

Added By
Alan Newman
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Former pier-head at Withernsea.   Richard Croft
Former pier-head at Withernsea.   Richard Croft
Former pier-head at Withernsea.   Richard Croft
The Sandcastle   Paul Glazzard
The Withernsea Pier in 1877.   public domain
Wreck of the Saffron at Withernsea Pier, 1880.   public domain
The Sandcastle   Stephen Meara-Blount
The Sandcastle   Tom Curtis
The Sandcastle   Stephen Meara-Blount
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About

Locally known as "the Sandcastle" and looking strangely out of place, a pair of ornate crenelated towers are all that remains of the ill-fated pier that once served the East Yorkshire town of Withernsea.

Withernsea, like many British seaside towns, once had a very nice pier attraction at the local beach. It opened to the public in the summer of 1878, charging one penny for admission. Constructed of ornate iron girders, the pier stretched 1,196 feet from the beach out to sea. At the entrance was the large, castle-like gateway arch that stands today. Unfortunately, this was probably the unluckiest pier in the world.

The life of Withernsea Pier was to be very short, if very eventful. Just two years after it opened, the structure suffered serious damage when, during a great storm, the coal barge Saffron collided with the pier and punched a 200-foot hole through the middle. Another boat badly damaged the end of the pier.

Many other vessels collided with the pier over the next few years. Notably, in 1890, it was hit by the fishing boat Genesta, destroying more than half the pier. In 1893 it was hit by the Henry Parr bound for Grimsby. After that collision, there were only 50 feet remaining of this once-magnificent pier. What was left was deemed unsafe, and the last remains of the pier, all except for the entrance arch, were removed by 1905.

All that remains today are these two towers, which currently lead to a set of steps to the beach. However a crowd-funding campaign is underway to rebuild at least part of the structure.

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Storms Ruins Beaches History Ships

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Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

March 23, 2018

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The Sandcastle
Central Promenade
Withernsea, England
United Kingdom
53.730428, 0.035606
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Nearby Places

Greenwich Meridian Trail

East Riding of Yorkshire, England

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Grimsby Dock Tower

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,233
Stories 145

Nearby Places

Greenwich Meridian Trail

East Riding of Yorkshire, England

miles away

Grimsby Dock Tower

Grimsby, England

miles away

Cleethorpes Air Raid Shelter

Cleethorpes, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,233
Stories 145

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